Measuring and packaging machine



Oct. 13, 1953 J. c. ROUNDTREE MEASURING AND PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 4, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 wfl s 7 w v 0 an n. 6/ u m V 5 d w m 6b. 60 6 4 m m m w W m m A w 0 W. Jr R M L n p m l 6 N 28 n M 78 J 7 /w m m FIG-2- Oct. 13, 1953 J. c. ROUNDTREE MEASURING AND PACKAGING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 4, 1952 FIG-3- INVENTOR JOHN CARL RO/VDTREE ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 13, 1953 2 4555391 AsUnmG-uNB-rAoKAG NG MACHINE" Qafllteu e, Panama ex,

epp ie ee eneety .5 eria N9; 64438 sfllaimse. (01. 22211181) inventionrrrelates -rsenerally atoran im-pmvee merit in.:apparatus for measuring and'discharging fluent r material; into, individuala containers: or receptacles.

While my device is intendedifor: use invvolu metrically measuringr-and :bagging crushed ice-it will .be apparentthat-any "fluent material may be hendiem enemas su ar: flour; grain; commercial fertilizer or any small robjectsrin a, mesa capable of flowing in a stream: underr'the influence of ravity;

The primary object- :ot inventiomis :to: proe vide a simplelinexnensiveand-durable measuring an packa i mac ne esi ne l 'rfl e vfi fluent mate iel-m 119121 honeersby ra ty; flew WQ ee efi elv Q m qe rcenyn eof a: plurality 9 m we ne eeentities Qt u h berialand et-la e 'eam h eush a-smutinteaebasaev Sim l pe at cep ac An h r-w ee im enti e is e nmvide a measuring and packaging maehine-ofithevabcve t neaadaptablefon eitherh n gr; power operali n. tm a y me l a meth l er Queeni i s recepta l s o rte-fil e ey he mplcyedl Referring to he raw e siwhereia wreferred embodiment of nyinv tieniseshq which like elements; are dentified sum merals throughout the several viewsz l s aside WfiW-OQHlX-WQGMM: partly see ien shav n th' mesne ism feee ntrelline mev glents et -my meeeer ned um Figu e 2. he p eavie at th ma ine-fir s in -eate a i l is a ent flew: newly imsectign 0f my mea urinaan -ae lse m ma mn -l v i u e 4 ha m t te-v e -emh ments eentrqn ns the, lament at the su ine r m ha n p examin i on Figure 5 "is a perspective ,view. of the elements of. Flee ehewn in. tneir none a ive position.

Figured is e end e e a e Q1 ee ti q he mea wineer m atifel m e eh sm s win 7 1 st uctur e ai and F um r7 "is-a al sew of the lem s own Fla 6.- W nlref r to. l ures L and h seeera a raneemeet i mY- na9h neinc ud a-s p- 31v beep r A]; mea urin chame fira dis? Cha ge sm t and, e-ee t el uni 'DZ io m n an integral assembly adapted to besuspended from in 9 e s ructures net hawn), b o Supporting ods S eam n n me memher fi a d 1 enieq 9n it r nd f tee, lin asu ine hamber Ihe-supply hopper A, of 'any conventional shape is preferably formed ofsheet metal; and as'shown; comprisesa front wall [0, arearzwall li and side walls hand 16 securedtogether by any suitable fastening method, such -as-' welds; rivets orthelike. If 'desiredthehopper may be provided with a e1osure- IB h-inged at Zllfer pre venting-the entry'of' foreignsubstancesor material intothespace'occupied-by the product to be packaged. Certain installation requirements may necessitate separate supporting structures for the supply hopper,- however; ll have mounted the same on the upper side crtop'of thes upply chamber B,- the apex l3 of the hopper-A being received within a measuring chamber supply opening 15 and'seeured- 'as by=the welding ll 'and l9. 7

A cylindrical outer casing- 30 havingend' wall sections 32 and 34 dorms the closed measuring chamberB' being' supported in' a horizontal position by-frame members -6 and! :carried bythe four supportingi rods *5. These frame members are secured :to: the end-walls of the measuring chamber by welding-indicated by numerals 36; 31, 38*and 39$ Withinithe'measuring chamber B is an'inner drum-4B, having end .walls 42and 44; and 'supported by stub shafts 46 and 48for oscillating or rotating movements.- These stub shafts- 46-:and ara-secured to the center'of th'e end wall struc' tures of the: inner drum" 40 'being anchored to strengthening-ribs 41 and- 43,1ocated on the-inner surface 'ofsuch end: walls, and are extended outf Wardly passingthrough openings 50 formed in the chamber 'B'to' permit journalling in splitcoll'arbearings 52 'and 54 carried'by the respec tive frame members:6"and=-1: In'this mannerthe-inner drum is supported-byth'e frame'elements't and l "foroscillating or rotating move-' ment' about its longitudinal axis within the chamberB." v

It willbe noted' by'reference to Figure 1, that suflicient clearance is providedbetween'the inner drum lll and the measuring chamber casing 301m allow-free movements of the former -'within' the'latter. As shown; the apex I3 bf'the hopper extends a' shortdistaneewithin the chamber "3 mea n compartme sfiZ andM-mf graduat d cross-sectional area, each adapted selectively to measure predetermined quantifies of bulk material. Although I have utilized cylindrical measuring compartments space limitations or other factors such as resistance to material flow may require the same to assume elliptical, square or other forms of cross sections.

My arrangement for supporting the compartments 62 and 64 within the inner drum 40 is shown in Fig. 1, wherein suitable openings 65 are formed in the peripheral wall of the drum 1' 40 to receive the ends of the compartments 62 and 64 the same being secured by welding, as indicated by the numeral 66.

To effect rotating or limited oscillating movements of the inner drum 40, I provide a hand wheel or belt-driven pulley 5| fixed to the extended shaft 46. The extended stub shaft 48 carries a cylindrical element 58 thereon forming a part of a control unit or stop mechanism D.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, my mechanism D, I

referred to above, is employed first to select the proper measuring compartment 62 or 64 then alternately to align the open upper end of the same with the supply opening and subsequently the lower open end of the compartment with the discharge spout C. This mechanism is composed of a cylindrical element 58 provided with radially projecting circumferentially spaced lugs 60a, 60b, 60c and 60d and is mounted on the shaft 48. These radially projecting lugs are adapted to cooperate with pivoted stop members 10 and 12 respectfully carried by plates l4 and 16 located adjacent to and on either side of the cylinder 58. The plates mounted on the frame element '1 are each apertured as shown by numerals l8 and 19 to provide clearance for the movements of the projecting lugs 66a, 60b, 50c and 60d by the rotation of the cylinder 58.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 each stop member Ill and 12 consists of upper and lower leaf elements 80 and 82 pivotally mounted to the respective plates M or Why a fixed pin 84 and linked for simultaneous movement by a pin 86 projecting through an arcuate slot 88 formed in the plate. In Figs. 4 and 5 the stop member 10 is clearly shown in operative and inoperative positions. In the operative position the stop member 10 will engage one of the lugs projecting from the cylindrical element 58 limiting the movement of the inner drum 4!! to a position aligning the desired measuring compartment 62 or 64 with the proper opening of the chamber B. It is to be understood the lugs 60a, 60b, 68c and 60d are positioned at points on the surface of the cylinder 58 whereby the desired movements of the selected compartment will be obtained. In the embodiment shown lugs 60a, and Ella cooperate with the stop members Hi and 12 in their respective downward movements to control the larger compartment 62. As the drum 4!! moves counter clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, the lug 60a engages stop member 16 placing the-upper end or opening 68 of the compartment in communication with the supply opening l5 for filling the compartment and subsequently upon clockwise movement the lug 60c engages stop member 12 aligning the lower opening of this filled compartment with the discharge spout 0.

Only one of the compartments will be utilized at a time and it will be noted with reference to the drawing that while the larger compartment 62 is in use the smaller compartment 64 will not at any time be aligned with the openings communicating with the chamber B. Thus.

4 material will not enter the unused compartment during the time the other container is employed. For changing measuring compartments the stop members 19 and 12 are placed in inoperative position shown in Fig. 5 and the inner drum is freely rotated clockwise through a are as viewed in Fig. 1. In this new position of the drum #0, after the stop members are swung to operative position, the movements of the smaller compartment 64 will be controlled by the lugs 60b and filld'in a manner similar to that described above for the larger compartment 62. Obviously, this larger compartment 62 will at no time be aligned with the openings communicating with the measuring chamber B while the smaller compartment 64 is employed.

In operation, movements of the inner drum, controlled by the mechanism D first selects the proper measuring compartment and aligns the upper opening of the same with the measuring chamber inlet l5 whereby material may flow by gravity through the supply hopper apex it into the desired measuring compartment 52 or 64.

Next movement of the drum in the opposite or reverse direction again controlled by the stop mechanism D arrests the movements of the drum whereby the lower end of the open compartment will be in communication with the discharge spout C. This spout C is flared outwardly as at I00 communicating with either compartment being used for receiving and directing material passing therethrough into a bag or other container (not shown) positioned below.

While I have shown my device as being of welded construction throughout, installations where frequent cleaning of the interior surface of the apparatus is desirable may necessitate a separable fastening for an end wall of the measuring chamber casing. In this event clamps, screws or bolts will be utilized for securing the end wall in position.

It will be understood that this inventionis susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A measuring and filling machine of the class described including a supporting frame, a cylindrical casingmounted on the frame, a spout on said cylindrical casing, a feed hopper rotatable within the casing and having diametrically disposed outwardly projecting stub shafts on opposite sides thereof and extending through said casing, means for rotatably mounting said shafts on the frame, one of said shafts having a portion extending beyond the end of the frame, a cylindrical member fixed to said extended portion, said drum having diametrically disposed through passages constituting measuring compartments, said passages being disposed at substantially right angles to each other and arranged selectively to register with said hopper and said spout, means for oscillating said drum, said cylinder member having circumferentially spaced outwardly and radially extending lugs, and movable stop means on said frame for engaging said lugs so as to limit the oscillating movement of the drum relative to the frame.

2. A measuring and filling machine of the class described including a supporting frame, a cylindrical casing mounted on the frame, a spout on said cylindrical casing, a feed hopper rotatable 5 within the casing and having diametrically disposed outwardly projecting stub shafts on opposite sides thereof and extending through said casing, means for rotatably mounting said shafts to the frame, one of said shafts having a portion extending beyond the end of the frame, a cylindrical member fixed to said extended portion, said drum having diametrically disposed through passages constituting measuring compartments of varying volumetric capacity, said passages being disposed at substantially right angles to each other and arranged selectively to register with said hopper and said spout, means for oscillating said drum, the part being constructed and arranged so that when one end of a measuring chamber registers with the hopper, the opposite end thereof is out of registration with the discharge spout, said opposite end being movable to register with the spout upon rotation of the drum in an opposite direction, said cylinder 20 member having circumferentially spaced outwardly and radially extending lugs, movable stop means on said frame for engaging said lugs so as to limit the oscillating movement of the drum relative to the frame, and means for selectively moving one of the compartments so as to register with the hopper while maintaining the other compartment out of registration with the hopper.

JOHN CARL ROUNDTREE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 478,111 Jenson July 5, 1892 612,242 Holt Oct. 11, 1898 659,977 Kitterman Oct. 16, 1900 734,647 Wustner July 28, 1903 1,032,736 Brownless July 16, 1912 1,252,613 Phelps Jan. 8, 1918 1,263,074 Klutts Apr. 16, 1918 

